Extract from “Covenant & Conversation”.  By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Developed with Rabbi Daniel Rose

 

PARASHAT NOACH

In this parasha G-d sees how wicked humankind has become and decides to bring a flood to destroythe whole world, and start again wit Noah and his family. G-d commands Noah to build an ark and to bring his family and some aniimals, into the ark so they will survive.

 

After 40 days of rain, the flooding finally ends and even the water begins to disappear. When Noah can finally leave the ark, he offers a asacrifice to G-d, and G-d makes a covenant (an agreement) with Noah and all humans. In the covenant G-d tells humans how to be good, and promises never again to destroy the world with a flood. Soon, a new generation of humans try to build a city whose tower will reach heaven. This is called the Tower of Babel. G-d prevents them from doing this by confusing their language, so that no one cam understand anyone else.

 

The parasha ends with a list of the ten generations from Noah’s son Shem to Avraham, who becomes the first ever Jew in the next parasha.